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Lot 224 - Antique Real Photo Postcard Of Mummified Remains “Esther,” Basketmaker Maiden, Mesa Verde Museum, Undivided Back
Lot 224 - Antique Real Photo Postcard Of Mummified Remains “Esther,” Basketmaker Maiden, Mesa Verde Museum, Undivided Back
Lot 224 - Antique Real Photo Postcard Of Mummified Remains “Esther,” Basketmaker Maiden, Mesa Verde Museum, Undivided Back
Antique real photo postcard (RPPC) depicting the mummified remains identified as “Esther,” described on the card as a Basketmaker maiden dating to circa 200 A.D., associated with the Ancestral Pueblo (Basketmaker) culture of the American Southwest. The image shows the naturally preserved body with visible facial features, torso, and limbs, photographed in a documentary museum context.
The caption at the lower margin reads: “ESTHER — BASKETMAKER MAIDEN OF 200 A.D. — MESA VERDE MUSEUM.” Mesa Verde National Park and associated collections were central to early 20th-century archaeological study and public exhibition of Ancestral Pueblo material culture, and postcards such as this were commonly sold through museum outlets as educational souvenirs.
This example features an undivided back, consistent with early real photo postcard formats, generally dating it to the early 1900s. Condition shows light handling wear and age toning, with clear photographic detail and legible caption.
Auction Date: 01/08/2026
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